Australian dies after falling from a cliff in Portugal

An Australian is one of two tourists who died after falling from a cliff at a seaside town in Portugal.

The Australian national appeared to have been taking photos with a fellow tourist when the pair fell down the cliff at Pescadores Beach in Ericeira and died, the National Maritime Authority told Portuguese news agency Lusa.

The pair died after falling from the cliff top at Pescadores Beach in Ericeira, Portugal.Credit:Joaomartinho63

Local media reported a 30-year-old woman and 40-year-old man fell from a height of 30 metres.

The captain of the port of Cascais, 30 kilometres west of Lisbon, said he believed the couple fell while trying to take a selfie.

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"We found a mobile phone [at the bottom of] on the sea wall which indicated they might have been taking a selfie when the phone fell - they leaned over to get it and fell," he said.

Council workers sweeping the beach found the bodies early on Tuesday morning, and it’s believed they fell from the cliff top between 1am and 6am local time.

Local media reported the pair were both Australian, however, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said one Australian had died, and the department had been in contact with its British counterpart over the second death.

"The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance, in accordance with the Consular Services Charter, to the family of an Australian who died in Portugal," the spokesperson said.

"The Department has been in contact with the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office regarding the other person who died in the incident."

"Owing to our privacy obligations we will not provide further comment."

The bodies have been taken to the National Legal Medicine Institute in Lisbon and autopsies will be conducted.

While investigations continue, Corfina Media reported police have ruled out murder as a possible cause of death.

Police will also be speaking to witnesses, who said they saw the pair sitting on the wall with their legs facing the beach.